US government: Chinese can keep buying mature chip tools
The US government will not extend its export restrictions to China to mature or legacy chips, said the Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.
Thanks to geopolitical tension, the US's trade department has introduced a ban of the export of advanced chip tech to Chinese companies. It has sanctioned the sale of machines that make the chips needed for next-gen AI applications, data centres and military tech.
But these restrictions have not included 28nm or older 'legacy' semiconductors. Recent speculation has suggested the US has been reconsidering its policy. However, in a media interview, Assistant Secretary Thea D. Rozman Kendler told Nikkei that the current sanctions will remain in place.
The department made its decision after surveying the activities of more than 100 companies in several industries. It is trying to strike a balance between protecting its national security and allowing US firms to make revenue from exports. It is also aware that Chinese-made processors are used in a wide range of important consumer devices, which are important to the US economy.
Kendler said, "We've tried very hard to make sure that our semiconductor controls are as narrow as possible to make sure that we are addressing only our national security threat and nothing more."
